RootsChat.Com
Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Lanarkshire => Topic started by: mcghee67 on Monday 09 March 09 20:33 GMT (UK)
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Does anybody remember Carfin Dog Track,
My Grandfather was a friend of the founder ? Hefferman. Does anybody have any imformation pictures etc. Trying to track down a picture that hung in the club house of my grandfather wearing an evening suit his name was Peter Molloy and his dog Dasher Bob held the record for fastest race any imfo greatly appreciated
Kind regards Jane
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Some information here
http://www.rootschat.com/links/05se/
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Motherwell Times archives may have copies of the photo
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An interesting link to Carfin "dugs".
I used to work with a lady who was I think, connected to the Heffernan family in some way, certainly she knew them well and spoke of them often. She was brought up by her granny who lived in Glenburn Terrace, so perhaps they were friends of the family. She used to talk about one of the Heffernans, a son, being electrocuted at the track, I think it was on the last night - although it went through several "last nights" if I remember rightly.
My grandfather and his elder brother used to run dogs there, so many dogs, but they all had the same name - "Curran's Ramelton". Curran was their family name and Ramelton (or Rathmelton as it is sometimes) was the family home in County Donegal. My granda and uncle Pat knew everyone at Carfin (lots of Irish of course) and many a weeks wages were lost there, and many a dog was fed a "plain loaf" soaked in stew gravy before a race, just to keep it from winning - putting up the odds for the next race it was entered in, when of course it would win!
I can still hear my auntie Sarah when she discovered that they had fed her freshly-made broth or stew to the dog as soon as her back was turned. Happy days!
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I still live in Carfin now and very vaguely remember the dog track as I am so young but my forefathers used to go there often, infact there are Heffermans who married into my tree. Some of the Heffermans still live in my street now and the family home still stands at Carfin Cross.
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I used to work at the dog track parading the dogs before the races. The dog track was sold by the Heffernan family to housing developers and now there is a small housing estate on the site where the dog track stood.
Sorry i cant help with the photo though
Pete
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Local paper, this week, intimated the Death of Pat Heffernan aged 87 former owner of Carfin Dog Track after taking over, together with his brother, from his father Thomas. The track closed in 1999.
Paper also states that he also owned Armadale Stadium, west Lothian. Just a little background info Doubt if it will help with your research but you never know. Best of luck
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went to the track for many years unusual as it was seven dog races instead of the usual six, we won the glenburn golden jubilee , pat who owned the track had his girls sell pies and bovril from a little shed i went out with the eldest patricia.